Back to the Drawing Board
by Melitza
Summary: Sometimes, you need to be a little more obvious. Draw a picture, even. Shouldn't be a problem for Renji; his drawing skills were much better than Rukia's, after all.


**Title:** Back to the Drawing Board  
><strong>Rating:<strong> K+  
><strong>Characters:<strong> Rukia, Renji, Ichigo, Byakuya  
><strong>Pairings:<strong> Rukia x Renji  
><strong>Setting: <strong>Meh. Anytime after Soul Society arc.  
><strong>Description:<strong> His drawing skills were much better than hers, after all.

**-0-**

Renji had learned a long time ago not to ask 'what's that' when looking at one of Rukia's drawings. Which, he had learned over time, sometimes required a little finesse, and a lot of self-control.

'What do you think of it?' she would ask, and he would smile and grunt and nod enthusiastically. 'It's good, it's good!' he would reply, and hope the interaction would end there.

Sometimes, she would frown slightly. 'A little more concrit would be nice,' she would grit out sweetly (warningly), and it was then that he knew he was in trouble.

'Um… the leaves on the tree are very… leaf-like…?' he would try.

'BAKA!' she would scream, and knock him over the head with the pad. 'It's a TURTLE!'

**-0-**

One time, while passing through the Kuichiki manor, having just dropped off some reports for his captain's consideration, Renji heard Rukia asking the same question of Byakuya. He nearly tripped over himself in excitement as he flew beside the door and waited for his taicho's imminent doom…

'What elements of the drawing would you like improved?' the older man asked calmly instead.

'I suppose the rainbow could do with some more accurate colors… and I guess I didn't quite capture the motion of the leprechaun's dancing…' she replied thoughtfully.

Renji slapped his forehead so loud he nearly missed the older sibling's quiet, 'I shall have a servant pick up a new set of markers for you; and if you wish to enroll in a kinetic sketching class, I suppose I would not be adverse to such a leisure activity.'

Byakuya went on to mildly discuss how it was considered right and proper for nobles to partake in art-focused 'enrichment' endeavors anyway, and Renji slipped quietly away before either of them decided to investigate the loud flesh-on-flesh noise that had designated his defeat.

Why had Renji never thought of that?

**-0-**

'Well? What do you think?' Rukia would raise her chin and stick out her chest and plant her hands on her hips, all fierce pride and victory. (And Renji would watch her and wonder if the goofy, proud, love-struck smile made its way to his lips this time, or if he had contained it to just a fluttery feeling inside his chest.)

'I think it sucks,' Ichigo would intone.

'It's _clearly_ the best unicorn that has ever been drawn – ever! By anyone! Anywhere!' Rukia would scream and stomp her foot impatiently, and Ichigo would smirk, and Renji sighed inwardly because once again, someone (who wasn't him) had mastered a trick to getting her to reveal her picture contents.

But, Renji reflected, as her shrieks and his shouts warred for ultimate supremacy on the decibel scale, he didn't envy Ichigo's method. There had to be a better way.

Her notebook flew back forgotten as she slapped the human boy back and forth across the room, and idly, Renji caught it and peered closely at the scribbles within.

Unicorn. Huh. He probably never would have guessed that…

Back to the drawing board, he supposed.

**-0-**

Sometimes, Renji would admit, he was a little slow on the uptake. But he certainly wasn't stupid, and so, it was only a matter of time before he would discover the _ultimate solution_ to his Rukia problem. He would have liked to have come up with it entirely on his own, but when she handed (quite literally) him a fail-safe, he knew a veritable gold mine when he had one.

"Hey Renji – can you give the elves hats?" she asked absentmindedly, shoving a green marker into his right hand with her left, all the while never taking her eyes from the careful squiggle marks of the (apparent) elf-shoes. He wondered if she felt the same pleasant jolt run up her spine when their fingers brushed.

He figured he was home-safe until the petite shinigami snapped irritably, "I said hats, not gloves, Renji! They need their hands free for making toys, right?"

"Right!" Renji gave his acquiescence hastily, and switched which blob he doodled on.

Rukia hummed in approval and tucked back against him, and it was all he could do not to shiver in delight at the way her warm silken locks fit so perfectly beneath his chin.

**-0-**

"Ne, Renji, what do you think?" Rukia murmured thoughtfully – and this time, the question bore with it no sense of great foreboding.

"Hmm… I dunno… what d'ya want me to add?" he asked.

"You're better at hands…" she offered – trailed off for a moment – then, finally, shoved a peach-colored crayon into his waiting fingers. "Draw our hands. Holding."

"Each other?" he teased, smiling toothily at the way she huffed in annoyance.

"Obviously," she retorted – but as always, had more bark than bite, as she didn't bristle at all when he assumingly sidled into position, flush against her as he bit his lip and concentrated and worked on what he was convinced should be his best masterpiece yet.

If she noticed the matching rings he added to mirroring hands, she certainly didn't say a word. He liked to think she did notice, though.

His drawing skills were much better than hers, after all.

**-0-**

_Fin_

**Author's Note:** Feedback is love.  
>Also, reposting this so it's properly tagged and accessible to the proper shippers!<p> 


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